Northwell Health is the corporate identity adopted in 2016 by the organization formerly known as the North Shore-LIJ Health System, New York State’s largest healthcare provider and private employer. The current logo, introduced in November 2015 ahead of the January 2016 name change, was designed by the Denver-based branding consultancy Monigle. [1]
Design and History
The North Shore-LIJ Health System was created through the 1997 merger of North Shore Health System and Long Island Jewish Medical Center. [2] By 2015, the system had grown to 21 hospitals across Long Island, New York City and Westchester, and its board unanimously approved a name change to Northwell Health, effective January 1, 2016. [3] The new name was chosen because it is simple, differentiates the health system from other providers in the metropolitan area, and reflects the organization’s commitment to promoting good health, wellness and illness prevention. [4]
The logo was unveiled to employees in November 2015, about two months before the name became official. [1] The rebranding effort, which included naming work by Monigle and Interbrand and a communications campaign by J. Walter Thompson, followed roughly seven years of internal consideration of an organizational change. [5] The new brand launched publicly on New Year’s Day 2016 with a campaign titled “Look North.” [6]
Hospitals within the system retained their original names but incorporated the Northwell branding, such as Lenox Hill Hospital becoming Lenox Hill Hospital Northwell Health. [7]
Meaning and Symbolism
Monigle describes the logo’s central element as a “constellation symbol,” used in the logo and throughout the design system, which signals that Northwell is greater than the sum of its parts. The symbol’s multiple arrows, of different sizes and colors, convey the idea that many different parts combine to form a unified entity with dynamic energy. The upward right direction of the arrows is described as a nod to Northwell’s culture of innovation, demonstrating the system’s forward-thinking orientation. [2]
Ramon Soto, Northwell’s chief marketing and communications officer at the time of the launch, said the logo’s multicolored triangles serve as a symbolic reminder of the health system’s various patient services working in unison, with the different-sized and colored triangles representing “the depth and breadth of what we have to offer.” [1] The colorful logo was also described as representing “a constellation of people, places and services moving as one.” [4]
The mark consists of 15 triangles in colors including purple, green, blue and orange. [8]
Typography and Design
The Northwell wordmark pairs the multicolored triangle symbol with the organization’s name set in a sans-serif typeface. The word “Northwell” appears in a broader, heavier letterform than “Health,” which is set in a narrower weight of the same typeface. [9] The triangle motif is carried through Northwell’s signage family, which, along with the presence of “Northwell Health” following each facility name, expresses the notion of system-ness and furthers the masterbrand strategy. [2]
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